The following is a translation of a transcription of an audio statement in Arabic given by the leader of Syrian insurgent faction Jabhat al-Nusra to the leader of the Islamic State of Iraq, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
See also: Syria Special: Did Jabhat al-Nusra Pledge Allegiance to Al Qa'eda?
In the Name of Allah The Merciful.
Praise be to Allah, prayer and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah and his family, his companions and allies forevermore.
O Muslims everywhere, leaders of Jihadi movements, leaders of armed factions, the Syrian people, the sons of Jabhat al-Nusra, Peace, Mercy and Allah's Blessings be Upon You!
Alif, Lam, Meem [These letters are one of the miracles of the Qur'an, and none but Allah (Alone) knows their meanings.]
Do the people think that they will be left to say, "We believe" and they will not be tried? But We have certainly tried those before them, and Allah will surely make evident those who are truthful, and He will surely make evident the liars. [1]
There has been talk about an address attributed to Sheikh Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, may Allah protect him, and in the address attributed to the Sheikh it stated that Jabhat was subordinate to the Islamic State of Iraq, and then it announced that the names State of Iraq and Jabhat al-Nusra were annulled and replaced with the single "Islamic State in Iraq and as-Sham".
So people take note that the leaders of Jabhat and its council and the poor slave the Administrator General of Jabhat al-Nusra were not aware of this declaration, only what they heard through the media.
The reality is that we were not consulted or informed about this alleged speech.
Since some cards have been revealed, I can say that we have been a part of the Iraqi Jihad since its beginning until we returned after the Syrian Revolution, with what happened to us from the interruption of fate, but we learned firsthand of most of the details of the momentous events that have occurred in the march of Jihad in Iraq and took from our experience there what delighted the hearts of the believers in the land of as-Sham under the banner of Jabhat al-Nusra.
And Allah is witness that we have not seen anything from our brothers in Iraq except great goodness and generosity and shelter and these myriad, countless favors are an eternal debt for as long as we live.
I had not wanted to leave Iraq before I saw the flags of Islam flying high over the land of Mesopotamia but the speed of events in as-Sham came between us and our desires.
I had the honor to accompany many of those whom we think are the righteous people in Iraq, and we lost so many of them that when they're mentioned in front of me I say, may Allah accept them, not to mention the tens or even hundreds of jihadis who died from as-Sham, and others, in declaring the word of Allah under the banner of the Islamic State of Iraq.
Then Almighty Allah honored me by introducing me to Sheikh al-Baghdadi, that is Sheikh al-Jalil, who safeguarded the right of the people of Syria and repaid many times over, and he approved our plan to support the oppressed in as-Sham, and gave us money from the State, despite the harsh times they were experiencing, and put full confidence in the poor slave [al-Golani] and authorized him to develop a policy and plan, and he sent us a few brethren, and told them that Almighty Allah had blessed them and gathered them together, and Jabhat began undergoing difficulties, and little by little with Allah, we flew Jabhat's banner high and alongside it flew the hearts of Muslims and the oppressed, and they became those who balanced the battle of the Ummah today in this land, and the focus of the hopes of Muslims throughout the world.
We have declared, from the first instance, that our aim is to restore the rule of Allah in his land, and to raise the Ummah to follow his prescribed judgment and disseminate his way.
We did not want to rush the declaration, when we were ordered to be patient, because the role of the state in applying Sharia and settling disputes and conflicts and establishing security between Muslims and securing their needs is already in full swing in the liberated areas, though with failures.
The question of declaring it was not of interest, because it is present in essence and the Islamic state in as-Sham is built with the help of everyone without the exclusion of any key parties who participated in Jihad and Qital [2] with us in as-Sham, from armed factions and renowned Sunni sheikhs to our brethren the Muhajareen [Brigade] -- quite apart from the leaders of Jabhat al-Nusra and its shura.
The matter of postponing the announcement was not because of weakness in religion or fear on the part of the men of Jabhat, but enlightened wisdom based on Sharia and and a long history and effort in understanding the Sharia politics applicable to the situation in as-Sham and agreed upon by the people of wisdom and logic in as-Sham, from the leaders of Jabhat and its students, and the leaders of other factions and their students and those who support and advise us from outside the country.
Thus, I comply with al-Baghdadi's call, may Allah protect him, to rise from the lowest to the highest and I say:
This is the allegiance that Jabhat al-Nusra and their secretary general renews for Sheikh al-Jihad Ayman Al Zawahiri, may Allah protect him.
We pledge to listen and obey (the orders) both at the time when we were active and at the time when we were tired, and at our difficult time and at our ease and to be obedient to the ruler and give him his right even if he did not give us our right, and not to fight against him unless we noticed him having open Kufr (disbelief) for which we would have a proof with us from Allah." [3]
And the banner of the Jabhat will remain and not change, even though we are proud of the banner of the State and those who carried it and sacrificed the blood of our brothers under the banner.
We reassure the people of as-Sham, what you saw from Jabhat in its defense of your religion, your honor and your blood, and honor and the good created with you and with fighting factions will remain as entrusted. And this declaration of allegiance will not change any of its policies.
May Allah bring us together to the path of righteousness. Amen, Amen
Thanks to Allah
The servant of Muslims
The Secretary General of Jabhat al-Nusra
Abou Mohamad Al Golani
NOTES:
[1] This is taken from the Quran, from Surah Al-Ankabut (The Spider), Verses 1-3:
http://quran.com/29/1-3
Alif, Lam, Meem [These letters are one of the miracles of the Qur'an, and none but Allah (Alone) knows their meanings.] Do the people think that they will be left to say, "We believe" and they will not be tried? But We have certainly tried those before them, and Allah will surely make evident those who are truthful, and He will surely make evident the liars.
[2] Qital --- from the root q-t-l (qatala) --- has a far narrower meaning than 'jihad': slaying, killing, fighting, warring, and slaughtering. The term appears around 123 times in the Quran.
[3] The wording of this pledge is taken from a Hadith and relates to al-Golani's choice of Surah, which comes from a time of persecution of true believers: this Hadith is one of 79 found in a collection by Sahih Bukhari, called 'Afflictions and the End of the World'.
"The Prophet called us and we gave him the Pledge of allegiance for Islam, and among the conditions on which he took the Pledge from us, was that we were to listen and obey (the orders) both at the time when we were active and at the time when we were tired, and at our difficult time and at our ease and to be obedient to the ruler and give him his right even if he did not give us our right, and not to fight against him unless we noticed him having open Kufr (disbelief) for which we would have a proof with us from Allah."